Flying is fun! But it also gets a bit boring when always taking off on the same routes, stop for a coffee and fly back again. Didn’t we all start one way or the other to discover the unknown and see things from a different view?
A nice way to do so is to join on of our club rallye’s – an event which has somehow stopped but which we were driven to activate again as a fun day out with fellow pilots and students!
Quickly we found our theme: beer it is! Autumn, Oktoberfest weekend and the country of Heineken…how much more obvious it can be. And also the 4 teams competing figures it quickly when they saw the test questions we used to warm up: Which football event is sponsored by Heineken?
Getting ready to solve all the hints and find the right way
When did the first Munich Oktoberfest take place? How much beer has been consumed there in 2017? …and so forth….obvious isn’t it? Certainly some flight theory questions where tugged in as well to add some learning and repetition! And no – google was not allowed to be used!
After the warm up it was time to get flying. But where to? The route consisted out of 4 addresses which needed to be found. Photo’s would be proof after the return of participants. And surprise surprise: all 4 points where breweries or bars! Beer here we go!
After a quick stop in Hilversum (EHHV) to change pilots the last navigation part started: did you figure the theme? Fly the word on your way back! Beer (in Dutch: Bier) left quite a few options: Bleiswijk/Breukelen/Bodegraven – IJsselstein/Ijssel – Euromast/Erasmusbrigde- Rotterdam….it wasn’t only about a nice scenic route but extra points where handed out to the team with the shortest route. Still too easy? Well, that’s why we required a paper nav planning and checked the actual flying times with the calculation of the teams. Quicker or slower than anticipated? Certainly minus points for lack in accuracy!
And the winners are: Jos & Jan who obviously get their beer opening gold medals!
Not surprisingly we welcomed happy pilots back in Rotterdam – and did this in style: Beer served in Oktoberfest Dirndl awaited them all upon their return and everybody settled into relaxed chatting on our sunny club terrace. Isn’t this what it is all about? Flying, discovering, being challenged to think, meeting friends, exchanging experiences, learn from each other and simply enjoy our hobby? When we finally left after dinner we concluded: this was once again worth it – and the idea for the “Start the flying season 2019 spring rallye” is already in our heads!